St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s lacrosse team started their season with a bang as they secured an 18-13 win against Stockton University on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 18). The Seahawk’s victory was led by sophomore attacker Hailey Betch who put up a career-best performance with nine goals and 10 points. Betch’s contribution played a vital role in the team’s win, as the Seahawks fought off a fourth-quarter rally by Stockton.
The first period ended with a 2-2 draw as both teams exchanged goals. St. Mary’s College then stepped up their game in the second quarter and went on a 6-2 run to take an 8-4 lead into halftime. Betch was instrumental in the Seahawk’s second-quarter surge, contributing three goals and an assist.
The team’s momentum continued into the third quarter as they went on a 3-0 run, courtesy of two goals from sophomore midfielder Colin Horton and one from junior attacker Bella Dunigan. The Seahawks’ run was interrupted by a Mary Meduri tally, before Betch scored four of the next six goals to put her team up 15-7 with 12:38 remaining in the game.
However, Stockton University refused to go down without a fight and scored five unanswered goals over a six-minute span, including three woman-up scores, to pull within three with 6:23 left in regulation. St. Mary’s had to hold on tight in the game’s final minutes as the Ospreys turned the ball over five times. The Seahawks then closed out the contest with a 3-1 push to secure the win.
In the box score, St. Mary’s outshot Stockton 31-26 and won the battle in the circle with a 21-14 margin in draw controls. Betch was impressive in this area, winning nine draws. However, the Ospreys edged the Seahawks 22-20 on ground balls, and also capitalized on five woman-up goals as St. Mary’s picked up six yellow cards. The turnovers were equal at 20 apiece, with five different Seahawks forcing two turnovers each to cause 14 of Stockton’s 20 turnovers. The Ospreys also struggled to clear the ball out of their defensive end, completing only 13 of their 16 attempted clears.
Betch finished the game with a career-best 10 points on a career-high nine goals and one assist, while Horton contributed five goals, five draws, and two caused turnovers. Dunigan and first-year attacker Katelin Scala each chipped in with two goals and one assist. Junior goalie Maddie Clemmer was solid in the net, collecting 10 stops in the win.
On the other hand, Meduri paced the Ospreys with five goals, while McLaughlin contributed four goals and two assists. Jordan Hawkes took the loss in goal, making seven stops in Stockton’s season-opening loss.
The Seahawks will be happy with their season opener, but they know they have a long road ahead.
Up Next for the Seahawks
- Feb. 24 at Lynchburg (0-1) – Lynchburg, Va. – 7:00 p.m.
- Feb. 26 at Roanoke (1-0) – Salem, Va. – 12:00 p.m.